Fat cat prompts fire service callout

Ashleigh Gill, 12, and her brother Tyler Scadden, 6, near the hole in which a cat became trapped sometime overnight on Sunday. Photo / Nathan Crombie

Firefighters worked for half an hour to free a "fat little cat" that had become trapped while creeping into a car under repair at a Masterton home.

Station officer Mike Cornford said the transmission had been removed from the car and the cat had been stuck "half in and half out" of where the gear stick had been removed.

"It was a fat little cat and it took three of us to manoeuvre it into the right position to get it out," he said.

"We were wearing gloves but one guy did get scratched and we managed to get it out after 30 minutes.

"It was quite an interesting exercise."

Homeowner Christine Scadden, who has two children and three cats, said she did not own the pet that was trapped.

"You see older people calling the fire brigade for cats in trees and I didn't want to bother them at first until a neighbour, who is a volunteer fireman, said to go ahead."

She said she had heard scratching when outside early yesterday morning and believes the animal became stuck some time overnight on Sunday.

The cat was bigger than any of her moggies, she said, and left soon after being freed.

The hole where the cat had been stuck has been covered and the vehicle is to be garaged.

"Our cats are a little smaller but they would probably do the same thing and I don't want to call the fire brigade back a second time."